Bhopal, Feb. 24:
Religious heads of virtually all religions came together here Friday to form Dharmik Jan Morcha to resist the ongoing hatemongering prevailing in the country and establish communal harmony.
On this occasion, a seminar on “The Role of Religious Leaders in Establishing Harmony” was held at Hotel Silver Inn, Bhopal. Religious leaders emphasized the importance of improving social and religious unity and communal harmony during the seminar.
The event was chaired by Prof. Mohammad Salim Engineer, Vice-President of Jamat-e-Islami Hind and also National Coordinator of Dharmik Jan Morcha, which has been active in India since 2001. Syed Ali, who conducted the program, introduced Dharmik Jan Morcha.
In his presidential speech, Engineer Salim stated that religion connects all humans and inspires unity, peace and harmony in society. He mentioned that some political figures misuse religion for political purposes, tarnishing its reputation, and highlighted the need to avoid such misuse.
He said: “Our country is a land of diversities, home to most of the world’s religions, and we have lived together here for centuries. Our diversity is not our weakness but our strength. Despite having different views, it’s necessary for all citizens to live together in harmony. A common misconception today is that religion is the cause of disputes,while the misuse of religion is the real root of conflicts, he opined.
Engineer Salim further said the actual cause of social discrimination is the misuse of religion for selfish ends. “Dialogue among religious leaders is very necessary. We should work together on things that have a consensus in society and by doing so, we can send a positive message to society. Our opinions may differ, and if someone disagrees, we should accept them, but respect for each other should not diminish. We want a platform for religious leaders, hence efforts are being made in every state.”
Representatives of different religions emphasized the need for love and brotherhood in society and called for collective efforts from people of all religions.
Brahma Kumari Leela Behen stated, “If there is hatred and disgust in society, it will weaken us. Therefore, we must not let our society and country get weak.”
Fr. Anand Mutungal said: “Religion teaches us to love, and that is its true essence. Being religious does not mean hating others; anyone who does so is not truly religious.”
Shri Gyani Gurvinder Singh from Gurudwara Anandnagarstated: “Until one’s intentions are good, one cannot prosper. If you do good to others, good will come back to you. He mentioned that there are many evils in society today, and religious leaders play a crucial role in eradicating these evils. It’s our responsibility to be aware of our society.”
Founder of SarvadharmSadbhavna Manch, Pandit Narendra Dixit said, “Humanity is above all religions. Using religion in politics is awful. There is a need to separate religion from politics. For the sake of humanity and building India, we need to work, and for this, such platforms are necessary”, he stressed.
Bhante Rahul of Buddhism stated, “Religion should not be used to spread hatred but for harmony. This is the true purpose of religion.”
Bhim Singh and Sanjay Kumar Khairwar from the tribal community, Pastor Samuel B Francis, Fr. Ishwardas and Fr. Alfred D’Souza from Christian community, social worker Engineer Ajay Singh, Ramchandra Raikwar from Gayatri Parivar, social worker Ashok Juneja, Bhikkhuni Sanghamitra from Buddhist community, Dr. R.P. Tripathi from Gufa Temple, Dr. Hamid Baig, Mohammad Imtiyaz, and Dr. Shahid Ali from JIH, Brahma Kumari Rajkumari, amongst others also graced the occasion.
All participating religious leaders were honoured with mementos.